Japan to consider penalties for anyone who pays for sex under anti-prostitution law

I don't making it illegal is the right move.... the GOVERNMENT is already micromanaging every damn aspect of our lives, and adding yet ANOTHER law just feeds the nanny-state beast we’re trying to slay.

Having said that, any male who pays for sex, even with a so-called “adult,” is still an absolute pathetic loser, and deserves to be outed, named, shamed, and socially obliterated.

He's too pathetic and socially incompetent to form genuine human connection, attraction, or intimacy without paying cash for a transaction that mimics love but is the opposite. He's DIRECTLY funding and perpetuating human misery: sex trafficking rings, pimps, drug addiction cycles, coerced "workers," and the emotional/psychological wreckage left in the wake of commodified bodies. He's admitting DEFEAT as a man - incapable of self-improvement, discipline, charm, or restraint - so he outsources his urges to the lowest bidder instead of building real character or relationships. Not to mention, he's a walking BIOHAZARD: high risk of STDs/STIs (even with "protection"), contributing to antibiotic-resistant strains and silent epidemics that hurt innocent partners later. And he's ENABLING this industry: every yen handed over props up organized crime, the insidious host club industry, modern slavery, and the porn-adjacent pipeline that turns people into disposable products.

Solution? Post his name, face, workplace - full public humiliation. Let the court of public opinion and the disgust of real men and women do the job the government shouldn’t have to. Social consequences, not criminal ones. Shame works better than handcuffs anyway, and it keeps the government’s filthy hands off another freedom. Losers who buy sex should live in fear of exposure, not fear of fines/jail.

Oh, and as for the women - look at the actual surveys and studies from Japan (like those from the Japan Prostitution Research Group, academic polls on "papa-katsu/enjou kosai", or reports on soaplands/hostess bars/fuzoku industry workers): a huge chunk - often up to 80% in self-reported data - say they entered VOLUNTARILY for financial independence, funding luxury shopping, travel, or paying off debts they racked up on designer bags and trips, NOT because of coercion or poverty. These are the FACTS.

Such women do it because they want easy cash, quick money with minimal effort, and the lifestyle perks that come with it. Many treat it like a side hustle or short-term gig, viewing it as "empowering" because the pay is better compared to regular jobs.

These women should be encouraged to do something that actually provides meaning, builds real character, and restores a sense of self-respect. Selling your body erodes your soul, objectifies you, and leaves most feeling empty, used, and disconnected from genuine relationships long-term. Push them toward trades, education, entrepreneurship, family or any path that builds dignity instead of trading it for fleeting luxury. That's real empowerment - creating value, not renting out a few crevices by the house.

Again, shame the losers who buy, but don't romanticize or enable the sellers either. Do that and everyone wins.

*by the hour.

How about just legalizing it and taxing it? Despite some people's strong moral objections, prostitution has been a part of humanity's existence since forever, and stronger laws are not going to put an end to it. If it is not your thing, then by all means, cover your eyes and look away.

Legalizing prostitutions allows sex workers and clients to be in a safer environment with access to health care and education regarding preventing becoming victims of STDs and violence. Counseling can be provided for the workers, so they don't feel trapped into having to perform sex work without support. Also gets rid of the criminal element running delivery health, soaplands, etc., and puts the money into the worker's hands with taxes to fund the above mentioned programs.

Iraira beat me to it. Full agreement.

At first, I would put penalties on all the street male and female touts out there, who always approach the people...Massage, Sex?...

At first take these idiots of the streets.

Then the government must clearly determine which kind of sex work they want to penalize.

As the article mentioned, it is for people who are waiting for customers in the street only, or does that include soaplands, Massage parlors, Escorts, Delivery Health Service...?

If all sexual services are included, the Sex industry in Japan will come to an end. Many businesses, love hotels, Soaplands, Delivery Health, Massage Parlors...have to close and thousands of people who are working in that industry will loose their jobs. (which is also a problem).

Additional, I guess, the rape cases in Japan will sharply increase.

So In my opinion, it is not a good idea to put penalties on people who pays for a sexual service.

Take the Sex street touts of the street, forbid street prostitution, and that's it.

Let people go to Soaplands, Massage Parlors, Delivery Health Service, and use Escorts....

The Sex workers can earn money, and the guests who pay for their service get their necessary sexual relieve.

penalties for anyone who pays for sex 

Curious how “sex” would be defined.

Would outer stimulation by another’s body parts be included, for example?

Jay Today 07:02 am JST

Oh, and as for the women - look at the actual surveys and studies from Japan (like those from the Japan Prostitution Research Group, academic polls on "papa-katsu/enjou kosai", or reports on soaplands/hostess bars/fuzoku industry workers): a huge chunk - often up to 80% in self-reported data - say they entered VOLUNTARILY for financial independence, funding luxury shopping, travel, or paying off debts they racked up on designer bags and trips, NOT because of coercion or poverty. These are the FACTS.

Facts? That doesn't seem to be the case.

First, I did some Googling in English and Japanese, and can't find the name “Japan Prostitution Research Group” anywhere.

There is a feminist advocacy/research group called ポルノ・買春問題研究会 (Anti‑Pornography and Prostitution Research Group, interestingly, a woman I know is a member) and I found organizations like Sex Worker and Sexual Health (SWASH) a sex‑worker‑led advocacy and health group, The Anti‑Sexual Exploitation Project: With survivors Japan (ASEP) research group, and of course, Lighthouse, which works around the world. There are also of course academic papers published in various journals, but they are individual research projects, not one unified body.

Second, while some research shows financial reasons are part of why women engage is sex work (and financial reasons include poverty) the reasons are far more complex than "funding luxury shopping". Motivations often include emotional, social, and structural factors, as well as coercion and abuse. If you have credible research showing that 80% enter voluntarily for luxury or travel, then post your citations, because a Google scholar search and a search of I couldn't find any studies with those numbers.

Here are some papers I found with a cursory search that show the reasons are FAR more complex than you claim:

https://unitesi.unive.it/handle/20.500.14247/9745

https://kumadai.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/29634

https://sci-hub.jp/10.1017/als.2020.9

TL/DR: financial reasons exist, but claims like “80% enter voluntarily for luxury goods” are not supported by solid research.

So again, if you do in fact have these numbers, do give your citations because I can't find those numbers.

Such women do it because they want easy cash, quick money with minimal effort

This shows very clearly that you know nothing about what sex work entails. There is nothing "easy" "quick" or "minimal effort" about it.

"" highlighting a gap in the country's prostitution law that punishes sellers but not buyers.""

NO T TRUE, Even the sellers are NOT Punished.

Sellers are on the streets for everyone to buy.

Might as well just make it LEGAL collect business taxes and keep it clean, everyone will be happy.

Total Hypocrisis... everybody knows places like Tobitashinchi in Osaka where the Mamas manage the red light district in Osaka....why doesn't the police go there and arrest everybody, both the prostitutes and the pimps??

If the government is in desperate need of money they could legalize it and tax it like they do in Germany.

Plenty of countries do the opposite which is also reprehensible.

WoodyLeeToday  08:05 am JST

Might as well just make it LEGAL collect business taxes and keep it clean, everyone will be happy.

For once I agree with you.

I’m all for the legalization of prostitution.

Let them set up shops. Pay their taxes. Get pimps out of the way.

A lot cheaper than the legal grey zone the want to crackdown on with tax money.

multiple, objective research consistently finds that liberalizing prostitution leads to a significant decrease in rape rates whereas prohibiting it does the opposite.

please make informed decisions based on empirical data. please don't make ill-informed decisions based on emotion and dogma.

This doesn't make sense as it already is legal. Just gray area. Everybody knows it's happening. Literal deriheru shops and soaplands accross the street from police box's. I mean look at tobita shinchi, you think the governement doesn't know what's happening? The only thing this effecrs is paying for standing prostitution as the grey area laws already protect the actual prostitution that goes on everyday that more than half of Japan has participated in.